FDNY Can't Guarantee Results

Fire Department officials have pronounced themselves pleased that about 35 percent of the applicants who filed for the Jan. 20 written exam for Firefighter are people of color.

There is some dispute, however, over whether a change in the scoring format for the physical exam will make it more difficult to increase minority representation, particularly among blacks, in the FDNY.

Uniformed Firefighters' Association President Steve Cassidy notes that making the physical pass/fail gives added weight to scores on the written test. Based on past results, he said, this will work to the detriment of minority candidates, rather than increasing their representation from the current 9 percent of the firefighting force.

That belief is shared by Vulcan Society President Paul Washington, who generally is not on the same page as Mr. Cassidy. Uniformed Fire Officers' Association President Pete Gorman, however, supports the use of the Candidate Physical Ability Test, which was developed by the International Association of Fire Fighters in tandem with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. CPAT has been effective in improving the ranks of female firefighters in other cities.

Mr. Gorman argues that it is the best way to get more women - who make up less than 1 percent of the firefighting ranks here - on the job while preserving the merit system.

"We believe it is an exam that gives all candidates an equal opportunity to pass," he said.

Ultimately, while the FDNY may wind up being judged on hard numbers, all it can do is try to ensure an equal chance. It cannot guarantee equal results, and should not be blamed if those aren't achieved if the process itself, from recruiting through the exam, was fair.